India, having scored the opening goal, seemed to ease their nerves and they played smooth and fluent hockey thereafter. The way they did the build-up play through the back and midfield unsettled Pakistan and the latter ran out of patience

Pakistan lost to India in their first game only to ride their luck and win against South Africa. From then on, the Sarfraz Ahmed-led side beat Sri Lanka in a do-or-die clash following it up with a semi-final triumph over fancied England to storm into the final